Sigma Pi looks to start Tech chapter
A new national fraternity, Sigma Pi, is interested in starting a chapter on campus. Should the fraternity form, it will be the first time in 12 years that such an occurrence has happened on campus. However, the fraternity's interest in Tech is not new.
"Sigma Pi approached us a couple years ago. They didn't have the interest or the resources to act on it until now," said Jonathan Sangster, Interfraternity Council (IFC)president.
A graduate student who was a Sigma Pi alum at another school sparked interest in starting the new fraternity on campus.
"Sigma Pi have a very good program for starting new chapters. They targeted Tech because we are a strong ACC school with a good reputation," Sangster said.
Should the new fraternity come to campus, they will begin recruiting members immediately.
"They will have three weeks of recruitment which will overlap with normal rush. The goal will be to get 25 guys so they can start a colony, if they are approved by the IFC. After that, typically it takes 12 months to charter a fraternity," Sangster said.
Sigma Pi will start at a disadvantage compared to the already established fraternities on campus, however.
"Tech has 28 fraternity chapter houses on campus, which is good for rush. It makes rush very competitive for the fraternities who do not have a house. Sigma Pi would not have a house when they first started," Sangster said.
The next step for IFC is to assess the impact and consequences of adding another fraternity to the fold of the Greek community.
"Within the next couple of meetings the IFC will vote whether or not to support them. Sigma Pi wants to be invited on to campus. They have assured us that they will not just crash campus, which is basically starting a colony without the approval of the current Greek community," Sangster said.
Once their colony is formed, their national headquarters will be sending them the resources needed to turn the colony into a chapter house.
"They have two consultants that will come down for a two week period from their national headquarters to train the 25 recruits on how to turn their colony into a chapter house," Sangster said.
The program that the fraternity has in place has four different stages, and each must be reached in a certain time period for the colony to become a chapter.
The program has had a lot of success at other colleges and universities around the country.
"90 to 95 percent of all Sigma Pi colonies become chapters," Sangster said.
Starting a new fraternity is a rare occurrence. There are currently 29 fraternities on campus and one colony, which is Zeta Beta Tau.
"Phi Kappa Tsi was the last fraternity to be chartered. Delta Chi was chartered in 1990 and have already acquired a house. They are the last fraternity to get a house," Sangster said.
The issue with getting a house on campus is space. There are no lots left in the Greek space on campus.
"Sigma Pi getting a house is a foggy area. It is not hard because we can get creative with the space. However, it takes a lot of members and a lot of alumni donations, as well as national support and time to get a house due to the high price of building a house," Sangster said.
It is still uncertain whether or not Tech will be welcoming a new fraternity into its fold in the near future.
"It is not a definite thing yet. We are still looking into whether or not to invite them. It is a good tribute to the Greek system here that other chapters are interested in joining," Sangster said.
